South Hiendley Junior Infant and Early Years School

South Hiendley Junior, Infant and Early Years School George Street, South Hiendley, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S72 9BY

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement

 Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and the areas requiring improvement lacks precision. The school’s improvement plan does not focus sharply enough on the aspects of teaching, learning and assessment needing further work.  Similarly, leaders do not evaluate the impact of the pupil premium on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils rigorously enough. Consequently, the gaps between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils are not closing quickly.  Teachers’ expectations of some pupils, especially the most able, are not high enough. Sometimes, the work set by teachers is not pitched at the right level for the most able pupils, and as a result, they do not make fast enough progress.  The most able pupils are not challenged to use and apply their knowledge, skills and understanding often enough, especially in mathematics.  Teachers’ assessments of pupils’ learning and progress in reading and mathematics are not

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement

accurate enough.  Equally, the school’s system for tracking pupils’ progress does not give leaders a clear or precise enough view of how well all pupils are doing.  Governors do not keep a close enough eye on the quality of teaching and the progress pupils make. As a result, they are not robust enough in challenging senior leaders, for example, about the use and impact of the pupil premium.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Children make good progress in the early years and are well prepared for key stage 1.  Pupils behave well in lessons and throughout the school day. They work hard and want to do well.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effectively promoted.  Levels of attendance are higher than the national average for primary schools.

p.1

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and governance by: ensuring that all leaders use the monitoring information they collect to pinpoint which aspects of teaching and pupils’ outcomes require improvement making sure that improvement plans are sharply focused on speeding up the progress all pupils make making sure the actions of all leaders have the focus and urgency needed to achieve rapid and sustained improvement in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and outcomes for pupils making sure that the school’s systems for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress and attainment provide a clear and accurate picture of how well all pupils are doing ensuring that governors receive detailed information about all aspects of the school’s performance ensuring that governors hold senior leaders robustly to account for the quality of teaching and the progress all pupils make.  Increase the progress pupils make, especially disadvantaged pupils and the most able, by:

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

ensuring that all teachers use assessment information to plan learning activities which build on what pupils already know, understand and can do making sure that expectations of what pupils will learn in lessons are clear and that teachers keep a close eye on whether pupils are finding the work too hard or too easy ensuring that all teachers set work which challenges the most able pupils to use and apply their knowledge, skills and understanding to solve complex problems, especially in mathematics.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher promote the school’s values of ‘everyone happy, everyone equal’ consistently and well. As a result, pupils feel valued and parents are confident that their children and well cared for and happy. However, leaders’ actions have not had the focus and urgency needed to secure rapid and sustained improvement in the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils.  Leaders monitor important aspects of the school’s work by observing in lessons, checking assessment information and looking at the work in pupils’ books. Crucially, however, they do not use this information well enough to identify precisely where teaching and outcomes for pupils need to improve. Additionally, the school’s self-evaluation does not give a fully rounded picture of the school’s effectiveness.  Similarly, the school’s improvement plan does not cut to the heart of what is needed to achieve rapid and

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

sustained improvement in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment at South Hiendley School. Consequently, actions to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and outcomes for pupils have not had enough impact since the school’s last inspection.  The pupil premium is not used well enough to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. This is because actions are not sharply focused on accelerating the learning and progress of disadvantaged pupils. Governors and senior leaders have not evaluated the impact of the pupil premium systematically or rigorously enough. In contrast, however, the physical education (PE) and sports premium for primary schools is used well to increase participation, strengthen teaching and improve outcomes in PE and sport.  Teachers are set annual performance targets which are closely linked to the priorities in the school’s improvement plan. However, governors and the headteacher do not hold teachers robustly enough to

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

account because the targets do not focus sharply enough on securing better outcomes for all pupils.  The school’s curriculum builds on pupils’ interests, and learning activities ‘hook’ pupils into learning. The curriculum is broad and balanced and enriched by a range of out-of-school visits and extra-curricular activities, including extended homework tasks linked to termly topics.  Senior leaders have introduced a new method of assessing pupils’ progress and attainment which is linked to the revised national curriculum. Inspectors could not confirm the accuracy of teachers’ assessments for reading and mathematics. Over time, however, teachers’ assessments of pupils’ writing are accurate and reliable. The school’s systems from tracking the progress pupils make in reading, writing, mathematics and a wide range of other subjects are at an early stage of development.  Much has been done to secure the strong support of staff, who are proud to work at South Hiendley

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

School. Parents are similarly positive about the school’s effectiveness and the high regard given to their children’s personal development and well-being. Parents told inspectors that their children ‘always look forward to coming to school’.  Although new or inexperienced, middle leaders are developing their knowledge, skills and confidence. As a result, they have a clearer view of what needs to improve in the subjects they lead.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively through a wide range of school-based and out-of-school activities. This includes opportunities to learn about people from different cultures and with different faiths. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong and are skilfully helped to understand the consequences of their decisions and actions. This prepares them well for their lives as citizens in modern Britain.  The governance of the school

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

While governors are committed to the school and want the best for pupils, they are not knowledgeable enough about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and the progress pupils make. Governors do not receive sufficiently detailed reports and information about important aspects of the school’s performance. As a result, they are unable to challenge the headteacher and senior leaders and consequently, do not hold them to account with the required robustness. Governors have not kept a close enough eye on the use of the pupil premium and its impact on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, the school’s actions have not had the focus and urgency needed to close the gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils. External support has lacked the urgency and effectiveness needed to tackle the areas requiring improvement at the school’s last section 5 inspection.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Pupils trust the adults who care for them and say that

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

they feel safe. Leaders and staff know pupils well and are alert to the things that make them vulnerable. Case studies show that leaders and staff take timely and decisive action to protect pupils and provide the help and support that pupils and their families need.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 Teachers plan learning activities which are interesting and motivating. Crucially, however, teachers do not always plan work which is pitched at the right level for pupils. Too often, the most able pupils are not set challenging enough work which extends their skills and deepens their understanding. In mathematics, for example, there are too few opportunities for the most able pupils to use their mathematical knowledge to reason and solve problems.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils will learn in lessons are not sufficiently clear. Equally, teachers do not always check whether pupils are finding the work too hard or too easy. When this happens, some pupils do not move on to new or more challenging work quickly enough and others struggle with the work and fall behind.  Sometimes, errors and misconceptions in pupils’ work are spotted and tackled quickly by the teacher. On other occasions, teachers and teaching assistants do not give pupils the clear explanations they need to

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

improve their understanding and make fast progress.  Pupils receive regular written feedback about their work. Sometimes, teachers pinpoint what pupils need to do to improve their work, and as a result, pupils take the next step in their learning with greater confidence. At other times, the feedback given to pupils is not clear or specific enough and pupils are not given sufficient time to correct errors or practise skills.  Teachers have consistently high expectations for pupils’ conduct and behaviour. Pupils understand that they are expected to work cooperatively and behave well. Teachers are quick to praise good behaviour and pupils’ positive attitudes to learning.  Phonics (the link between letters and sounds) is taught well in Years 1 and 2. As a result, pupils increase their confidence and fluency in using phonics strategies to read and spell unfamiliar words.  Teaching assistants help pupils to engage with learning activities, maintain their interest and concentrate

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

well. Sometimes, their contribution to pupils’ learning is less effective because they do not know how to help pupils take the next step in their learning.

p.4

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are consistently positive. In lessons, they work hard and are keen to do well. Pupils work cooperatively because they have well-developed ‘teamwork’ skills. However, the most able pupils do not always have the confidence and resilience they need to grapple with more challenging work. This is because there are too few opportunities for them to use and apply their knowledge, skills and understanding to solve complex problems.  Pupils are knowledgeable about how to keep healthy and stay safe. They understand the importance of healthy eating and regular exercise. Similarly, pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe when using computers and the internet.  Importantly, opportunities to learn about higher education and graduate careers are raising older pupils’ expectations of what they might achieve in the future.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and at breaktimes with minimal direction from adults. This is because there are high expectations and pupils understand the importance of considering the needs of other people, being respectful and taking responsibility for their actions.  Unequivocally, parents say that their children are safe and happy and enjoy learning. Levels of attendance are above the national average for primary schools and very few pupils are absent without a good reason.  There are no recorded incidents of bullying and pupils say that bullying ‘doesn’t happen’. Pupils know what bullying is and understand that it is unacceptable.

p.4

Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Although there has been improvement in outcomes for pupils and a higher proportion are working at the expected standard in Years 1, 2 and 6, pupils’ progress through key stages 1 and 2 is too variable.  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in phonics by the end of Year 1 has increased year on year since 2013 and increased further in 2016. By the end of Year 2, almost all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieved the expected standard in phonics.  In 2015, Year 2 pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was similar to the national averages. However, fewer Year 2 pupils exceeded the expected standard in these core subjects.  Year 6 pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics was below the national averages in 2015, while their attainment in writing was above the national average. Importantly, not enough Year 6 pupils made good progress from their different starting points in reading and mathematics and rates of progress for

p.5

Outcomes for pupils require improvement

disadvantaged pupils were lower than those for other pupils nationally.  The school’s assessment information shows that pupils’ current attainment and progress are too variable in reading, writing and mathematics across key stages 1 and 2. Inspectors’ observations and the work in pupils’ books supported this view and also indicated that progress is variable in a wide range of other subjects.  Not enough disadvantaged pupils make good progress and achieve the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in key stages 1 and 2. Although the work in disadvantaged pupils’ books shows improvement, this group of pupils is not making fast progress, and consequently, the gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils is not closing quickly.  Critically, too few of the most able pupils make good progress and exceed the standard expected for their age. They do not make fast progress because the work they are set is not challenging enough.

p.5

Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported and make strong progress towards their individual end-of-year and end-of-key-stage targets.  Although variable, pupils make stronger progress and achieve higher standards in writing than in reading and mathematics. The most able pupils write confidently and imaginatively in a wide range of subjects and genres.

p.5

Early years provision is good

 The early years provision is effectively led and managed. The quality of provision and outcomes for children are carefully monitored and areas for improvement are identified and tackled quickly. As a result, there is a strong upward trend in the proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year. This means that they are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.  All children have challenging individual targets which are based on accurate, well-rounded assessments of their learning and progress. This includes the views of parents, which are highly valued.  Children make consistently good progress from starting points which are below the age-expected level. As a result of effective and well-targeted support, rates of progress for disadvantaged children are similar to those for other children in the early years.  The early years safeguarding and welfare requirements are met. Children learn how to work and play

p.5

Early years provision is good

safely and cooperatively with growing confidence and independence.  Phonics is well taught and there is a rich range of opportunities for children to write. For example, after re-enacting the story of Jurassic Park, a small group of children collected pens and paper so that they could make a list of the characters and write about the story. There are, however, fewer opportunities for children to develop their interest in and understanding of mathematics.  Parents are fully involved in their children’s learning. Parents say that staff are ‘approachable and are always willing to give help, advice and support’.

p.5

School details

Unique reference number 130971 Local authority Wakefield Inspection number 10012005

p.6

School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.6

School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 226 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Matt Turton Headteacher Lisa Corson Telephone number 01226 711485 Website www.southhiendley.wakefield.sch.uk Email address admin@southhiendley.wakefield.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 27–28 March 2014

p.6

Information about this school

 South Hiendley Junior, Infant and Early Years School is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority) is higher than the national average.  Most pupils are from a White British background and very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who need support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average. However, the proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is much higher than the national average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school meets requirements for the publication of specified information on its website.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning on both days. They also spoke to pupils and examined the work in their books. Several lessons were visited jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with pupils, senior and middle leaders, four governors (including the chair of the governing body) and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors considered 57 responses recorded on Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire), including 39 free-text responses, and spoke to parents informally before school and at the end of the school day.  Inspectors took account of four responses to the online pupil questionnaire and 11 responses to the online staff questionnaire.  Inspectors examined documents relating to governance, school improvement planning, self-evaluation, pupils’ progress, attendance, behaviour, the curriculum and safeguarding.

p.7

Inspection team

Nick Whittaker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Geoffrey Dorrity Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

p.8

Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.

p.8

Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.8

Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.8